Fare box interior illumination



April 3, 1962 c. w. BOXSHALL ET AL 3,

FARE BOX INTERIOR ILLUMINATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 27, 1960 April 3, 1962 -G. w. BOXSHALL ET AL 3,028,073

FARE BOX INTERIOR ILLUMINATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27, 1960 United htates Patent 3,028,073 FARE BOX INTERIOR ILLUMINATION George W. Boxshall, 1009 Kelsey Ave., Winnipeg 19, Manitoba, Canada, and Claude S. Todd, Cartwright, Manitoba, Canada Filed June 27, 1960, Ser. No. 39,179 1 Claim. (Cl. 23213) The invention relates to an attachment designed to illuminate the inspection plate in fare boxes of the type installed in busses used for civilian transportation.

This type of fare-box in its present form has no direct means of illumination, other than the general lighting of the bus interior. This form of lighting is insufficient as coins dropped on the inspection plate are not clearly discernable, when the operator is driving at night.

The invention is designed to overcome this inconvenience, and is so designed that it may be readily installed in the fare-box, will clearly illuminate the inspection plate, and is so constructed as to prevent any glare from causing discomfort to the driver.

The bus operator does not usually have access to the fare-box interior, therefore it is desirable that a light bulb may be replaced without dismantling the same. The novel method disclosed in the following description permits this to be accomplished in a rapid and efiicient manner.

We have found that the aforesaid advantages may be obtained by removing one of the glass sides of the fare box inspection chamber, and installing in lieu of this side or window, a sheet of metal or other suitable material of similar size, having suitably located therein an internally threaded flanged metal collar. This collar is adapted to receive an externally threaded metal bulb-receiving socket. In order that a light bulb may be replaced without dismantling the fare box, it is necessary that the bulb be first inserted in the socket. The socket and bulb are then screwed into the aforementioned collar and for this reason the outside diameter of the socket must be greater than the diameter of the bulb employed.

Attached to the inside surface of the device is a sheet metal hood or reflector. This reflector enshrouds the internally extended socket and bulb and has a rectangular upper portion, and end pieces of triangular formation, open at the bottom to direct the light therein Wholly on the fare box inspection plate.

In the drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view along the line 11--11 FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a top plan sectional view along the line 12-12 FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an isometric projection of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of the device.

Plate 1 is designed to replace the original plate glass side or window in the fare inspection chamber of the fare box 5 (indicated by broken lines at FIGS. 1, 3, and 4).

An internally threaded circular metal collar 2 is inserted in and securely attached to the vertical plate 1, by riveting or other means.

The socket 3 is lengthwise threaded on its outer surface, except for a small portion at the rearward end, this unthreaded portion forming a stop or lock when tightened against the collar 2.

The socket interior may be formed to receive either a threaded, single contact or double contact bulb, in the form shown in the latter type being employed. This ice socket carrying the light bulb 4 is adapted to be threaded into the collar 2, and is horizontally extended into the fare box inspection chamber 5 to illuminate the inspection plate 6.

The light shade or reflector 7 is of sheet metal construction having a flatly inclined upper surface of rectangular formation angularly contacting the vertical plate 1 above the socket 3 and bulb 4 and having side pieces, a continuation of the upper surface disposed at right angles theretof The side pieces and upper surface are rigidly secured to the vertical plate 1 to enshroud the bulb and socket, thereby to form the reflector 7, which is adapted to fit under the baflle plate 8 and is open at the bottom to direct the light therein wholly on the fare box inspection plate. A cord and plug connects thedevice to the bus lighting system.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method of installing illuminator in the fare-box. In order to remove the plate glass window which is to be replaced by the illuminator, it is necessary to remove the fare-receiving box 10 and the inspection plate 6 from the glass enclosed fare inspection chamber of the fare box. The rear plate glass window of fare inspection chamber, is then replaced by the illuminator as indicated by the broken lines 13, FIG. 6. The inspection plate and fare receiving box assembly is secured in its original position thereby to form a retaining base for the illuminator and original glass sides of the fare box.

The embodiments of an invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

We claim:

In conjunction with a bus-type fare-box having a fare inspection chamber formed with transparent side walls, and downwardly extending beneath said inspection chamber a fare receiving box carrying at its top a manually operated, downwardly opening hinged lid, said lid held normally in a closed horizontal position, thereby to form an inspection plate, downwardly opened to form a dumping device, said fare receiving box and dumping assembly removably secured to the fare-box inspection chamber, and there being installed in lieu of the rear transparent wall of the fare inspection chamber a lighting device in the form of a vertical plate having suitably located and rigidly secured therein an internally threaded collar, threaded into said collar an externally threaded light bulb receiving socket, said external thread extending lengthwise of the said socket, excepting a small portion to the rearward end thereof to provide a locking means for the same, a bulb inserted in the bulb receiving socket, said bulb being diametrically smaller than the socket diameter, in order to provide a means to remove the bulb and socket without dismantling the fare-box, said bulb and socket being horizontally extended within the fare inspection chamber and over the inspection plate, and enshrouding the bulb and socket an associated reflector, rigidly secured to the inside surface of the vertical plate, and open at the bottom to direct the light therein wholly on the inspection plate, and means to illuminate the device comprising a cord and plug to electrically connect the device to the bus lighting system.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,034,936 Stender Aug. 6, 1912 1,348,893 Preston Aug. 10, 1920 1,429,884 Kerwin Sept. 19, 1922 1,542,778 Nelson June 16, 1925 2,583,182 Lyman Ian. 22, 1952 

